This invention relates to cryogenic systems for storing bio-organic specimens for medical and/or medical research purposes and more particular to cryogenic storage vessels having removable storage frames for supporting canisters containing bio-organic specimens.
Cryogenic systems have been available for many years for storing bio-organic specimens at sub-zero temperatures for long periods of time. Such systems have become even more important for short and long term preservation of living organisms so vitally important to the biomedical industries.
Often the living organism or bio-specimen is placed in a specimen container or bag, which is in turn placed in a metal storage canister. Several canisters are then placed edgewise one above the other in vertically spaced compartments of a tall thin frame shaving a top lifting handle. After the canisters are loaded into the portable frames, the frames are then lowered into a cryogenic vessel, the interior of which is maintained at an appropriate sub-zero temperature for short or long periods of time. Such cryogenic systems are quite expensive, thus it is advisable to pack as many frames into the cryogenic vessel as reasonably possible. However such close packing makes it rather difficult to remove a single or group of frames without bumping into other frames or the vessel itself.
It is generally necessary, when handling the sub-zero canisters and frames, for the medical or research personnel to use bulky gloves or mittens making it somewhat difficult to load and unload the canisters into and out of the frames. Consequently it is not unusual for one or more of the canisters to be dislodged from the frames as the frames are being inserted or removed from the cryogenic vessel. The dislodged canisters may fall to the bottom of the vessel requiring that a substantial portion of the contents of the vessel be removed in order to retrieve a fallen canister. Such a procedure can be very time consuming and possibly injurious to the specimens and the laboratory personnel.
One of the principle objects of this invention is to provide an unique cryogenic specimen frame that is very cost effective that prevents canisters from being inadvertently dislodged from the frame while enabling a laboratory person to easily remove a canister from a frame, even while wearing low temperature gloves or mittens.
These and other objects and objectives of this invention will become apparent upon reading the following description of a preferred embodiment.